Russia appears poised to invade Ukraine at any moment despite claims that they are drawing back troops. United States officials aren't convinced, and Rep. Jake Auchincloss spoke with Jim Braude on Greater Boston about how a potential invasion could impact Americans.
"There's no reason to believe anything Putin says. He lies. And we need to see, and we have the ability to see through both open source and classified intelligence whether or not Russia is mobilizing the bulk of its 130,000 troops," said Auchincloss, a former Marine who represents the 4th Congressional District.
A potential Russian invasion of Ukraine could have very real impacts on the United States, such as a massive cyber attack. However Auchincloss said our nation is "significantly" more prepared than in years prior.
"We also need to have a very strong offensive deterrent and that's much more centralized," he said. "Russia needs to know that if they hit water, utilities, electoral systems that there's going to be a massive cyber response that will disproportionately impact their own critical infrastructure."
In comparison to the Trump administration, Auchincloss said President Joe Biden's handling of the situation has been a significant improvement. Auchincloss said Biden is "quite artfully" using three essential tools: threatening sanctions, offering aid to Ukraine and rallying NATO allies.
"It really makes me very proud to watch President Biden in action," Auchincloss said. "Now, we should save our celebration until we actually get out of this crisis, because we're very much still in it."
WATCH: Auchincloss on Greater Boston
